Ambassador

LEONE ROBERTI MAGGIORE Umberto

Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori
Milan, Italy

Dr. Umberto Leone Roberti Maggiore is an Italian gynecologic oncologist whose work bridges clinical excellence with academic leadership. He currently serves at the Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori in Milan, one of Italy’s foremost centers for cancer research and treatment. His career has been marked by a continuous commitment to advancing women’s health, particularly in the fields of adenomyosis, endometriosis, and gynecologic oncology.

After earning his medical degree from the University of Genoa, Dr. Leone Roberti Maggiore completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology and later obtained a PhD in Gynecological Sciences. Early in his professional journey, he gained valuable experience working at Institutions such as San Raffaele Hospital in Milan and IRCCS Policlinico San Martino in Genoa, before joining the National Cancer Institute in Milan in 2017.

Throughout his career, Dr. Leone Roberti Maggiore has distinguished himself as both a clinician and researcher. He has authored more than 200 scientific publications. His research has had a particular focus on the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis and adenomyosis, fertility-sparing approaches in gynecologic oncology,.

Beyond his clinical and research achievements, Dr. Leone Roberti Maggiore plays a significant role in shaping international reproductive health policy and practice. He has been actively involved in the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), where he currently serves as Coordinator of the Special Interest Group on Endometriosis and Endometrial Disorders.

Widely recognized for his academic impact, Dr. Leone Roberti Maggiore has an h-index of approximately 40 and over 6,500 citations. He frequently serves as a peer reviewer for prestigious journals including Human Reproduction, Fertility and Sterility, and European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, among others. He is also a sought-after speaker and moderator at national and international conferences.

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News · June 20, 2025

Upcoming WESinars

WESinar: Adenomyosis: The missed disease – 9 December 2025

Adenomyosis: The missed disease
Date: 9 December 2025
Collaboration with SEUD
Moderators: Tina Tellum and Atilla Bokor
Speakers:
1. Relationship with endometriosis and consequences – Charles Chapron
2. Adenomyosis: pelvic pain and heavy menstrual bleeding – Felice Petraglia
3. Adenomyosis and infertility – Francisco Carmona
4. Round table and discussion

WESinar registration will open soon.

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Upcoming WESinars

WESinar: Collaboration with EEL – 18 November 2025

Further details to follow.

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Upcoming WESinars

WESinar: Management of endometriosis during peri-/post-menopause – 25 October 2025

Management of endometriosis during peri-/post-menopause
Date: 25 October 2025
Moderator: Devon Evans
Speakers: Engin Oral, Ludwig Kiesel
Sponsored by AbbVie

WESinar registration will open soon.

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Upcoming WESinars

WESinar: Diet and endometriosis – 10 September 2025

Diet and endometriosis
Date: 10 September 2025
Moderator: Naoko Sasamoto
Speakers: Holly Harris, Judy Simon

WESinar registration will open soon.

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Upcoming WESinars

WESinar: The future of adenomyosis management – 7 August 2025 – 8:00am EDT/ 2:00pm CEST/ 10:00PM AEST

The future of adenomyosis management
Collaboration with ASEA
Date: 7 August 2025
Time: 8:00am EDT/ 2:00pm CEST/ 10:00PM AEST
Moderators: Yutaka Osuga and Nura Fitnat Topbas Selcuki
Agenda:
1. Unveiling the pathogenesis of adenomyosis – Sun-Wei Guo – 20min
2. Ultrasound and the use of elastography for the diagnosis of adenomyosis – Saeed Alborzi – 20min
3. Microwave ablation in adenomyosis: a valid fertility preservation option – Mukhri Hamdan – 20min
4. Technique of adenomyosis surgery – Alexander Popov – 20min
5. Clinical and reproductive outcomes of adenomyosis surgery – Nikolai Rukhliada – 20min
6. Discussion – 20min

Click here to register for the WESinar.

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News · May 29, 2025

David Healy Award 2025 presented to Lindsay Guare

The David Healy Award for best Oral Presentation by an Early Career Scientist was presented to Lindsay Guare at the closing ceremony of the 16th World Congress on Endometriosis for her work on Expanding the Genetic Landscape of Endometriosis: Integrating Multi-omics with a Genome-wide Meta-analysis of Over 900,000 Genetically Diverse Women

L Guare1, J Das1, A Rajagopalan1, L Caruth1, S Namba2, Y Okada2, Y Shirai3, Y Yamamoto3, A Akerele4, J Jaworski4, D Velez-Edwards4, A Hill5, J Shortt5, N Elhadad6, G Jarvik7, L Kottyan8, Y Luo9, W Wei10, C Weng6, S Chapman11, Y Shi11, W Zhou11, A Mulford12, A Sanders12, B Brumpton13, E Moreno13, T Chen15, V Rovite14, Y Lin15,S Setia- Verma1

1University Of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
2The University of Tokyo, Japan
3Osaka University, Suita, Japan
4Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, United States
5Colorado Center for Precision Medicine, Aurora, United States
6Columbia University, New York City, United States
7University of Washington, Seattle, United States
8Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, United States
9Northwestern University, Evanston, United States
10Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
11The Broad Institute, Cambridge, United States
12Endeavor Health, Evanston, United States
13Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
14Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Latvia
15National Health Research Institutes, Maoli County, Taiwan

Country: United States of America Introduction/Background

Endometriosis is a complex heritable disorder requiring comprehensive genomic investigation

across diverse populations. Previous studies have been somewhat limited by European-centric data. The Global Biobank Meta-Analysis Initiative (GBMI) enables large-scale genomic analysis across multiple genetic ancestry groups, complemented by computational multi-omic and single cell analyses to understand disease mechanisms.

Materials and Methods

We performed a Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) meta-analysis across 14 biobanks worldwide, with 31% non-European samples. Multiple endometriosis phenotype definitions were analyzed, including broad and surgically-confirmed cases. Post-GWAS analyses included ancestry-stratified heritability estimation and fine-mapping. We conducted Transcriptome- wide and Proteome-wide association analyses, followed by single-cell analyses of implicated genes. Integration of multi-omic data through Mergeomics analysis enabled comprehensive pathway enrichment assessment.

Results

The GWAS (N=928,413 : 44,125 cases) identified 45 significant loci using a broad phenotype definition, including seven previously-unreported signals and the first genome-wide significant locus (POLR2M) in African ancestry. Narrow phenotypes and surgically confirmed cases replicated known loci near CDC42 and SYNE1. Observed heritability was consistent (10-12%) across ancestral groups. Cross-ancestry fine-mapping revealed putative causal variants in 38 loci. Multi-omic imputed association analyses identified 11 significantly-associated gene transcripts (two previously unknown: DTD1 and CCDC88B), two intronic splicing events (within PGR and NSRP1), and one protein, RSPO3. In silico single-cell analyses prioritized 18 disease-relevant cell types including venous cells and macrophages. The results of these analyses specified key players in enriched molecular pathways involving immunopathogenesis, angiogenesis, Wnt signaling, and balance between proliferation, differentiation, and migration of endometrial cells as major hallmarks in genomics of endometriosis.

Conclusion

This diverse GWAS combined with transcriptomic, splice-omic, proteomic, and single-cell analyses revealed novel genetic associations and molecular mechanisms in endometriosis. The identification of ancestry-specific variants and pathway interactions provides multiple targets for developing precise therapeutic interventions across diverse populations.

Key words: Genome wide association analyses, multi-omic data integration, diverse populations

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Rodolphe Maheux Award 2025 presented to Amelia Mardon

The 2025 Rodolphe Maheux Award for best Oral Presentation by an Early Career Clinician was awarded to Amelia Mardon at the closing ceremony of the 16th World Congress on Endometriosis for her presentation on Pain Science Education Concepts for Pelvic Pain: An e-Delphi of Expert Clinicians

A Mardon1,2, H Leake1, M Wilson2,3, E Karran2, R Parker4, R Malani5, L Moseley2, J Chalmers2

1NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Westmead, Australia
2IIMPACT in Health, UniSA, Adelaide, Australia
3Persistent Pain Research Group, UniSA, Adelaide, Australia
4Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
5MGM School of Physiotherapy, Aurangabad, A constituent unit of MGMIHS, Maharashtra, India

Country: Australia

Introduction/Background

Pain science education (PSE) involves learning about the biology of pain. However, PSE is yet to be thoroughly investigated for persistent pelvic pain potentially due to the lack of targeted curricula. This study gained consensus on PSE learning concepts important for persistent pelvic pain according to expert clinicians.

Materials and Methods

A three-round e-Delphi survey was conducted to generate and gain consensus on important PSE learning concepts for female persistent pelvic pain among 20 international, multidisciplinary expert clinicians. Learning concepts generated by clinicians were rated by importance using a six-point Likert scale. Concepts were considered important if they had a median rating important >3.0. Consensus on importance rating was considered reached for items with an interquartile range <1.0.

Results

The panel included expert clinicians from seven countries and six healthcare professions. Most clinicians (40%) had 20+ years of experience in pelvic pain. Overall, the expert clinicians generated 125 PSE learning concepts that were considered important for persistent pelvic pain; 92 (73.6%) learning concepts reached consensus on their importance rating. Of the 125 learning concepts, 102 were generated for persistent pelvic pain in general, and were categorised into 13 overarching PSE concepts (e.g., persistent pelvic pain involves changes to the brain and nervous system; many factors influence persistent pelvic pain). Sixteen concepts were generated for specific pelvic pain conditions (e.g., endometriosis) and seven concepts for specific life stages (e.g., adolescence).

Conclusion

This study provides the first list of key PSE concepts for persistent pelvic pain developed by expert clinicians. These concepts share similarities to those valued by consumers.1 Taken together, they provide a framework for developing and implementing PSE curricula for persistent pelvic pain in research and clinical settings.

Key words

Pain science education, pelvic pain, patient education

References

  1. Mardon AK, Chalmers KJ, Heathcote LC, Curtis LA, Freedman L, Malani R, Parker R, Neumann PB, Moseley GL, Leake HB. “I wish I knew then what I know now”—pain science education concepts important for female persistent pelvic pain: a reflexive thematic analysis. Pain. 2024 Sep 1;165(9):1990-2001.

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Ambassador

LUCIANO Danielle

University Of Connecticut
Connecticut, USA

Danielle Luciano, MD graduated from the University of Connecticut (UConn) School of Medicine and completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.  She then completed a fellowship in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery.  Dr. Luciano is a Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UConn.  She is the Director of the Division of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery, and is currently serving as the Interim Chair of the Department of OBGyn at UConn Health.  While at UConn Health she established a Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery (MIGS) Fellowship as well as a Center of Excellence in MIGS.  She has served on the AAGL (American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists) MIGS Fellowship Board and is currently serving on the AAGL Endometriosis and Reproductive Surgery Special Interest Group Board.

In addition to treating endometriosis Dr. Luciano is committed to raising awareness and increasing education and research about endometriosis.  She is an active member of the Connecticut Endometriosis Working Group and is Co-Director of the Connecticut State Funded Endometriosis Data Biorepository and Education Program: EndoRISE (Endometriosis Research, Innovation, Support and Education).

 

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